Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The plane landed safely and all the Blugolds have gotten back to school. After a day off, the team is back practicing...in the gym of course. You'd think the snow would be melted by the time we got back from Tucson. False. There is definitely snow still on the ground...and an eager bunch of Blugolds waiting to play outside.

This weekend, we are to face Luther College at home. We'll see if that will even be possible in the tundra of Eau Claire. Still, looking forward to some exciting games! Hopefully Wisconsin will make up its mind that it is SPRING...which means softball season.

Monday, March 28, 2011

The UW-Eau Claire men's hockey team has received two votes in the final NCAA Division III Top 15 poll, conducted by USCHO.com.

The Blugolds, who finished the season with a mark of 15-11-1, last appeared in the poll in the receiving votes category on February 7, 2011. The last time they were ranked was December 6, 2010 at No. 14.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

It's been a fantastic week in sunny Tucson, AZ. The Blugolds ended the week 8-2. The two losses were tough ones, as the team fell short once to North Central College of Illinois and once to St. Olaf. Still, these ladies showed so many great things in each game. Every player had an opportunity to play, making this week a true Blugold team effort.

Here are a few highlights from the past week:

Team total of 5 home runs, credit to Baumgartner, Bergquist, and Freagon

Visits to the desert and mountains of Arizona

Going to watch the University of Arizona Women's Fastpitch team play Cal State Northridge (winning 8-0 in 5 innings)

Close plays at the plate and executed pick-offs...thanks to Bromelkamp

7 strikeouts by LC (Lauren Carlson) against Hastings

Haluska coming through in clutch situation with a 2 RBI double in the 8th inning vs. Hastings

Hours spent in the sun by the pool

Complete game pitched by freshman "Ruegy" over St. Kate's

Diving catches by Williams, Baumgartner, Haluska

Harper coming through with a big base hit after struggling with an injury

Speedy wheels and amazing base running by Jenny Hess

Dominant pitching by Meinen, Wishau, and Hegseth

Hits coming into the games by "Charles," Houle, Preston, and Acker

Lots of pretty raspberries after finally sliding in the DIRT

Haluska diving to catch the home run ball at the U of AZ game, getting a bloody knee, of course staining her jeans

MUCH MUCH MORE...

The coaches did a great job of coaching. A big thanks to Steph 'Salter' Sturgis to helping this first half of the spring season and for all her hard work and positive energy brought to the team. Also, thanks to Jessa Pfenning, Amber Dohlman, Tim Husted, and Sarah Fern for all their work this week. Thanks to Student Athletic Trainer Christine Dickinson for patching up all the cuts and raspberries and looking out for the Blugolds.

Great job to Coach and Robin...as always, for coaching their hearts out, organizing the trip, and keeping everything and everyone in line! ALSO, congrats to Coach Huntington for becoming the 4th All-Time Winningest WIAC Softball coach. What a great accomplishment, and an honor to be a part of this program with such a great staff and such amazing players.

And who could forget Tim & Sue Rogge for all their contributions this week? They were such great supporters and helpers throughout the week, making sure we're all doing well and are fed. Thanks to the Rogges!

Also, thanks to the parents, for supporting their daughters and joining in on the fun down in Arizona. Thanks to Dayle and Dallas for their astounding support and treating us to dinner on the trip!

Now, we must say farewell to sunshine. Us students have classes to get back to apparently. This spring break has been such a great launch to what will be a great regular season of Blugold softball. We are scheduled to play Luther College this coming weekend, if weather allows. For some reason, the snow decided to fall and fall and fall while we were away, so we shall assess what this weekend will bring based on the snowfall.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The UW-Eau Claire men’s and women’s track and field teams finished strong at Indoor Nationals at Capital University in Bexly, Ohio on March 11th and 12th. Heading into competition Bart Mestelle (jr.-Sun Prairie) was the only Blugold competitor ranked in the top 8 of his event, and of the 17 athletes that competed (8 men / 9 women) 14 ended up finishing in the top 8 of their event earning All-American honors (top 8 = All-American) and making it a very successful weekend. Here’s how everyone did:

Monday, March 21, 2011

Well, we are four games into our spring break trip. We are having a good time here in Tucson, and we are learning more about our team everyday. Yesterday we beat St. Kates and St. Olaf in 5 innings. We put up 28 runs...yes that's right 28 runs in 10 innings. As Coach said, we have set the bar high and need to keep putting up runs for our pitchers. After the game we got some pool time and a lot of players took advantage of that! Later in the evening we had a team cookout with our families. We had burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, coleslaw, and more. It was really good! Most everyone was so tired from all the sun and time change that we were all in bed by 10:30.

Today was a really windy day here in Tucson! We battled the wind all day and came out with two victories. Our first opponent, Hastings out of Nebraska, came ready to play. The game went back and forth, but our backs were against the wall in the 7th. We needed to score a run to stay in the game. Britt got us started, and Ash and Jenny finished the job giving us a run to tie the game. We held them in the bottom of the 7th for an international tie breaker 8th inning. Haluska did it again like she did against Buena Vista, and drove in two runs to go up 5-3. We finished it out for the win in the bottom of the 8th.

It was a really different story against Calvin, out of Michigan. We started early and kept pouring it on! We had a huge 4th inning, scoring 9 runs. The highlight was Freagon's booming centerfield home run (over 235 fences). Meinen pitched really well, and Wish came in relief and shut them down. Overall, it was a great day to be a Blugold. We had another cookout tonight and the highlight for me was the strawberry pie!

Tomorrow we play in the early morning against North Central and Otterbein, and then after that we get some family time to go explore Tucson!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

The Blugolds have landed in Tuscon, AZ!! We have already felt the high 70 degree temps, practiced on a real field, and had some great laughs.

Story of the day:

After checking into the hotel, we made a stop at Subway to grab a quick lunch before practice. All 27 of us were in line to get our subs in the cramped yellow-brick sub shop, with one woman manning the sandwich prep station. A few orders in, the ceiling started to shake. Then all of the sudden, a ceiling tile fell from the floor and broke into a few pieces, leaving plaster and dirt all over the floor. But that's not all, two gray wings fluttered and a huge pigeon FELL from the ceiling INTO Subway. Then, the pigeon decided to perch on top of the soda fountain. With all this, came at least half of the team screaming in fright from this intruding bird. Many girls ran out screaming and laughing hysterically. Then, who else but true-bread farm girl, assistant coach Amber Dohlman, came to the rescue. She grabbed the pigeon...while all the girls hid in the corners fearing for it to attack...and brought it outside.

HILARIOUS. What a memorable start to the trip.

Now, we're having a great team meal, and cheering on the Wisconsin Badger men's basketball team as they play Kansas State here in Tuscon. Unfortunately, we cannot be at the game, but plenty of us are cheering on Sconnie from the hotel!

Tomorrow, we open at the Tuscon Invitational Games at 10 am vs. St. Catherine and 12 pm vs. St. Olaf. Hoping for more sunshine and a beautiful day for Blugold softball!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The exams piling up. The paper due dates drawing near. The group project meeting squeezing into our "free time." The weather and news calling for more snow storms. Here on campus, I think everyone is just ready for a BREAK.

As for us softball lovers, we are all longing for March 19th to jump out of bed, hop on a bus to Minneapolis, and board a plane down to sunny, snow-free, spring break territory -- Tuscon, Arizona.

What is it now...10 days? We are so eager to get in a whole week of games and get outta the gym!

In the meantime, we'll be working hard with every ounce of our times, whether it be for mid-term exams or for drills at practice. That's just how us Blugolds roll.

Monday, March 7, 2011

It was another strong weekend for the men’s and women’s track & field teams who competed at the UW-Stevens Point Last Chance Meet this past Saturday. On the men’s side, the distance medley relay team of Jake Zander (sr.-Chippewa Falls McDonell), Jake Dennis-Oehling (fr.-Whitewater), Alex Adkinson (so.-Whitewater) and Aaron Easker (so.-Wittenberg-Birnamwood) advanced to indoor nationals by running a new school record time of 9:59.45. Here are the splits from the relay: 1200 – Zander: 3:03.5, 400 – Dennis-Oehling: 50.0, 800 – Adkinson: 1:56.5 and 1600 – Easker: 4:09.4. Joining the DMR on the men’s side at Indoor Nationals will be Bart Mestelle (jr.-Sun Prairie) who qualified in the pentathlon with 3,573 points, Tony Sigrist (jr.-Byron, MN) who qualified in the 35 lb weight with a mark of 18.72m (61’5”), Patrick Keyes (sr.-Blaine, MN) in the 55 hurdles (7.66) and Thomas Breitbach (jr.-Muskego) in the 5K (14:35).

On the women’s side Maria Peloquin (sr.-Prescott) broke the indoor 800m school record and qualified for indoor nationals with a time of 2:15.88. Joining Maria at Indoor Nationals will be Talisa Emberts (jr.-Sussex, WI) who qualified in the 400 with a time of 57.32; Kim Miresse (jr.-Waukesha North) in the 55 hurdles (8.30); Brittany Frederick (jr.-Green Bay Preble) in the shot (13.81m, 45’3.75”) and the 20 lb weight (16.91m, 55’5.75”); Julia Baranek (jr.-Port Washington) in the high jump (1.67m, 5’5.75”); Liz Amici (sr.-Whitewater) in the pentathlon (3,222 points) and the 4 x 400 relay team of Talisa Emberts, Corinna Saager (sr.-Wausau East), Erin Schoenfelder (so.-Antioch, IL) and Jordanne Greenup who ran a qualifying time of 3:55.65 this past Saturday at Stevens Point.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Former UW-Eau Claire men’s hockey player John Kearns (Sr.-Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) has signed a contract to play professionally with the Idaho Steelheads, the organization and the ECHL announced today.

Kearns had been trying out with the Steelheads over the past week and was extended a contract to stay with the team Thursday. He signed the contract today after fulfilling the requirements of his tryout contract.

The Steelheads play regular season games until the first weekend in April before post-season play gets underway. The team is currently in third place in the Western conference of the ECHL.

Kearns, a defenseman, has played in five games so far with the Steelheads. He recorded one assist in his first game with the team on February 23.